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Photos of a Muslim woman in India who was mobbed while peacefully promoting a vegetarian diet have triggered worldwide outrage and sympathy — the type of response to an animal rights story that is usually reserved for an abused animal.

Activist Tries to Protect Herself (photo: PTI)

The victim, who wore a lettuce costume, asked worshippers to choose vegetarian instead of slaughtering an animal in advance of the Islamic holiday Eid al Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice).

Ironically,  but not surprisingly, the woman – not her attackers – was charged with a crime: “outraging religious feelings.” Also ironic is that the woman who was working to stop violence was made to suffer it, as pointed out PETA, which organized the costumed protest.

Police officer protects activist (photo: PTI)

Following is video footage posted by PETA. Who would believe that the presence of woman dressed up like romaine lettuce could trigger this kind of chaos?

Media outlets around the world are reporting on this story, which will bring this brave and terrified woman – along with her message of peace – into millions of homes. Perhaps those who can’t relate to the suffering on an animal will be moved by the look of despair on her face and connect the dots.

Like us, animals experience fear, terror and despair

The fat man in the back of the bus is not tipping it over, but PETA wants you to think he is.

To capture people’s attention in an era of information overload, PETA is launching a provocative ad campaign that uses fat shaming as a strategy to trigger people to go vegan. The ads will appear on London buses starting in October.

In an interview with a London newspaper, a PETA spokesperson stated that switching to a plant-based diet leads to weight loss and that “People who insist on stuffing themselves with Sunday roasts, bacon, cheese and eggs are throwing their health under the bus.”

In 2009, PETA was widely criticized for launching a similar campaign in which it encouraged human “whales” to lose their blubber by going vegetarian.

Criticism has never stopped PETA in the past, so the organization is unlikely to make any apologizes for its controversial “tough love” approach now. Tapping into people’s insecurities about body image will assuredly offend some people, but the approach could save the lives of many people – and, of course, animals. Do the ends justify the means?

For the past 60 years, the NIH has been conducting “maternal deprivation” studies in which researchers kidnap newborn monkeys from their mothers; give them surrogate mothers made of wire and wood; and hold them captive in dark metal boxes called “pits of despair” where they mutilate themselves. Video footage of one experiment shows babies crying and frantically shaking their mothers who have been chemically sedated by the researchers.

If you think that the sadistic and barbaric experiments conducted at Auschwitz by Dr. Josef Mengele are a thing of the past, think again. They are taking place today in labs all over the world – including those funded by taxpayers. Maternal deprivation and other similar studies continue at the NIH with approximately 200 monkeys. And, like the Auschwitz studies, they are being conducted in vain. As early as 1977, the researcher at the NIH who led these studies acknowledged that the findings were irrelevant to humans. Please watch this video obtained help PETA and take action against the NIH.

Most people will remember Joan Rivers as a trailblazer for women in comedy; for her unparalleled work ethic; for her irreverence; and for her advocacy, philanthropy and generosity. But some will remember her as the poster child for fur. She wore – and glamorized – fur more than just about any other public figure. And that has been a major source of frustration and anger for the countless people who dedicate themselves to ending this most egregious form of animal cruelty.

Ms. Rivers gave the impression that she had misgivings about wearing fur. When people criticized or challenged her, she asked if they wore leather, suggesting that they were just as guilty. She also attempted to justify her fur by saying that she had rescue dogs, as if the kind deed of adopting animals gave her a free pass for other forms of cruelty. When she was challenged by activists at public events, she struck back, saying that her fur was 15 or 20 years old, as if wearing old fur doesn’t generate demand for new fur. As an aside, some of her fur was, in fact, new.

Fur Coat and fur scarf

In the end, Ms. Rivers’ love of fur must have outweighed any guilt that she felt for wearing it. She had many opportunities to do the right thing by renouncing fur, as her own daughter Melissa did in a commercial for PETA, but she instead defended it and, at times, displayed contempt for those who challenged her, as shown in this video taken in July, 2014:

Because of her fame and unmatched consumption of fur, Joan Rivers will be one of the faces of fur when society relegates this barbaric form of animal cruelty to the history books. Now that she’s gone, will she come face-to-face with the hundreds off animals who were tortured and killed for her vanity?

In one of the most combative protests in years, animal rights activists clashed with carriage drivers, union heads, police officers and fashion models during Victor de Souza’s horse-drawn carriage runway show in midtown Manhattan. Chanting “Victor de Souza, animal abuser,” dozens of activists jogged alongside the carriages as they transported models in an alternative runway show.

By displaying his models on moving carriages, De Souza capitalized on the current media interest in the issue. Just one day earlier, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio made headlines when he reiterated his commitment to ending horse-drawn carriage rides in Manhattan: “There’s tremendous support in the City Council for making this change. And we’re going to move forward.”

The seven carriages carrying the models attempted – but failed – to evade the activists who protested until the moment the “show” was over.

Photo: Metro New York

Mr. de Souza either received the media attention that he wanted, or the protesters ruined the show for him and his models. Either way, this fashion designer’s unglamorous exploitation of animals will be well documented, placing him on wrong side of history.